The Hummer and the Mini: Navigating the Contradictions of the New Trend Landscape

When Robyn Waters began her career in the late 1970s, a trend was defined simply as something that everyone wanted at the same time. In today’s marketplace, ‘the next big thing’ has been replaced by a thousand different next big things, and contradictions abound.

For every trend you can spot, there’s an equally valid countertrend at the other end of the spectrum. Today we wear Old Navy with new Gucci, and couture Chanel with vintage denim. Brand new suburban homes are filled with flea market finds. We show off our Michael Graves teakettle from Target on our top-of-the-line Viking stoves in our new gourmet kitchens, complete with cabinets from Ikea.

In The Hummer and the Mini, Robyn explores the new trend landscape and urges companies to stop looking for the one right answer in their industry, and instead embrace the paradoxes. You can thrive by selling huge aggressive cars (the Hummer) or cute tiny ones (the Mini.) You can turn something old into something new and desirable (the Vespa) or turn a commodity into a luxury (Caldrea). You can customize a product designed for the masses (Jones Soda) or sell less as more (Minute Clinics.) You can even do good and make money in today’s socially conscious marketplace.

Through lively tales of the marketplace’s most influential trends and countertrends, The Hummer and the Mini will show you how to live with the contradictions, make the most of the inconsistencies, and embrace the paradoxes of business as a source of fresh ideas.

"This is a must read for marketers and innovators who want to find new opportunities amidst the conflicting signals of the marketplace. Anyone interested in growing their business will find this book to be a helpful guide, full of insights to think about trends in a new way.”
--Donna Sturgess, Vice President of Innovation, GlaxoSmithKline

From one of America’s leading trend experts, a fun and witty handbook that simplifies and demystifies the art of tracking and translating trends into sales and profit.

It’s a myth that trends can only be spotted early by uberhip Bohemian types who are ever so much cooler than everyone else. Robyn Waters ought to know. As Target’s former Vice President of Trend, Design, and Product Development, she helped a small regional discount chain become a national fashion destination.

The Trendmaster’s Guide features her favorite tips, examples, and tricks for anticipating, understanding, and translating trends. Every letter from A to Z offers an insight to help readers navigate the unknown and prepare for not just what’s next, but for what’s important. It’s a quick read that packs a lot of insight between "A is for Antennae” and "Z is for Zen.”

Anyone can use the tools in The Trendmaster’s Guide to become more aware of the world around them. Even if you weren’t born with a trendspotting bone in your body, you don’t have to be a follower forever. Recognizing and reacting to trends is a learned skill as much as it is an art. If you’ve ever witnessed a trend unfolding and said to yourself, "I should have seen this coming," there’s hope. You too can become a Trendmaster and get a jump on your competition.

"Waters’ advice for aspiring trendmasters is both deceptively simple and deeply sublime. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself finishing the book in an evening, mulling over the ideas for weeks to come, and changing how you do business for years to come."
–Dev Patnaik, Jump Associates